Breaking Down Jameis Winston's 2019 Interceptions

Winston led the league with 30 picks last year, throwing them in every different kind of situation.

Much has been made about Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston and the incredibly unique season he had in 2019, and with good reason.

Winston became just the eighth player in NFL history to throw for more than 5,000 yards in a single season, leading the NFL with 5,109 yards through the air. His 33 touchdown passes were good enough for second-best in the league, trailing only NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.

But Winston also led the league with an eye-popping 30 interceptions, 10 more than the next quarterback on the list, and a new career-high for someone who has more turnovers than any other NFL quarterback since he entered the league in 2015. Seven of his interceptions were returned for touchdowns.

ESPN's Paul Hembekides broke down all the different situations in which Winston threw his 30 picks last year, and to no surprise, he led the league in all of them:

Jameis Winston 2019 interceptions:

25 with clean pocket (most in NFL)
23 within 1 possession (most)
22 targeting WRs (most)
19 when trailing (most)
17 vs zone defenses (most)
13 vs man defenses (most)
13 vs blitz (most)
11 on 3rd down (most)
10 in 4th quarter (most)

— Paul Hembekides (Hembo) (@PaulHembo) March 6, 2020

None of those are the kind of league-leading numbers an NFL team wants from its quarterback, and the fact that the Bucs appear to be willing to let Winston test free agency instead of keeping him locked up with either the franchise tag or a long-term extension is telling.

We'll know more about Winston's future when the new league year begins later this month, but don't be surprised if the Bucs opt to move on from a quarterback who simply turned the ball over way too many times, and in many different ways, since he was the No. 1 overall pick.